EURO 2025 Leeds
Abstract Submission

519. COMPUTING in OR: An Early History and Personal Experience

Invited abstract in session WB-3: Celebrating 50 Years of EURO (session 2), stream Celebrating 50 Years of EURO.

Wednesday, 10:30-12:00
Room: Esther Simpson 1.01

Authors (first author is the speaker)

1. John Ranyard
Retired

Abstract

Much of OR has always involved data analysis, often on a massive scale. In the early 1950s calculating machines, manual and electric, were used but also some analogue computers, as documented in the first IFORS conference in 1957. However by then, digital computers were becoming available, transforming the speed of computation and were quickly adopted. OR software, particularly for LP and Simulation, was also being developed and made more effective. The use of digital computers in OR from the late 50s to the late 80s, via the experiences of a pioneering UK industrial OR Group in British Coal (established in 1948) will be summarised, covering the following eras: first generation computers (1950s); transistorised main frames (mid 1960s/70s); mini computers (1970s); and the ever more powerful Personal Computers (PCs, 1980s on). This rapidly increasing computing power and software efficiency has undoubtedly benefitted quantitative and statistical OR, leading eventually to the Analytics/Big Data revolution that we are still experiencing today.

Keywords

Status: accepted

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